A method for producing tugged zip fasteners

ABSTRACT

A method is disclosed for producing zip fasteners having applied thereon tags indicating information relative to zip fastener products. Continuous production of these zip fasteners is made possible by feeding a train of tags in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of a zip fastener chain.

United States Patent [191 Ebata Mar. 10, 1971 Japan....., ..46/l2954METHOD FOR PRODUCING TUGGED ZIP FASTENERS Inventor: l-llroyukl Ebutu,Uozu. Japan Assignee: Yoshlda Kogyo Kabushika Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan Filed: Mar. 7, 1972 Appl. No.: 232,473

Foreign Application Priority Data US. Cl. 29/408 Int. Cl B23p 11/00Field of Search. 29/408, 207.5 R, 207.5 D, 409

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1971 Maisenbacher 29/408 in]3,793,719 i451 Feb. 26, 1974 Primary Braminer-Thomas H. Eager Attorney,Agent, 0r Firm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel J. Lobato 5 7 ABSTRACT A methodis disclosed for producing zip fasteners having applied thereon tagsindicating information relative to zip fastener products. Continuousproduction of these zip fasteners is made possible by feeding a train oftags in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of azip fastener chain.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 4/1972 Maisenbacher 29/408 PATENTED FEB 261974 SHEET 1 OF 2 IFIG.2

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10 i v I FIG. 5

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FIGJO A METHOD FOR PRODUCING TUGGED ZIP FASTENERS This invention relatesto a method for producing a zip fastener having provided thereon a tagor label and has particularreference to a method for applying a seriesor train of tags one at a time successively onto a chain of zipfasteners.

I-Ieretofore, zip fasteners are known which are provided with a tagindicating thereon the types, sizes, prices, instructions and so on tofacilitate the identification of different product fasteners.

However, no practical methods have hitherto been proposed for applyingsuch tags continuously where desired onto a continuous zip fastenerchain. A typical example of a prior-art method is as illustrated in FIG.to align a series of tags in end-to-end superposed relation to anindividually separated zip fastener, staple or otherwise secure them oneafter another to a bottom end of the fastener, and thereafter cut thethus secured piece of tag off from the rest of tags. While it ispossible with such conventional method to feed a train of tagscontinuously with respect to zip fasteners of individual product length,these zip fasteners must of necessity be fed one by one by hand.Therefore, the rate of producin g tagged fasteners has been considerablylimited. Furthermore, such a conventional method has the disadvantagethat the tags are often placed out of position on the zip fasteners,resulting in unattractive appearance of the finished products.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novelmethod for producing tagged zip fasteners at an increased rate of speedas compared to the prior art techniques.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method which willeliminate the above-noted difficulties of the prior-art method and whichpermits of the attachment of tags with sufficient positional stability,viz. in correct position on a continuous chain of zip fasteners. 1

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method which makesit possible to apply tags onto a zip fastener chain in a cycle ofoperation continuous with the finishing of a zip fastener product.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willappear apparent from the detailed description which follows withreference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbolsrefer to like parts and in which:

F IG. 1 is a perspective'view illustrating one embodiment of theinvention forapplying a train of tags successively onto a chain of zipfasteners;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a piece of tag folded halfwayup when the fastener chain is cut to a product length; r

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a train of tags employed in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating another method embodying theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tag taken along the line VV ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustration still another method embodying theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a product zip fastener provided thereon with atag according to the method of FIG. 1;

FIGJ8 is a plan view of another product zip fastener provided thereonwith a tag according to the method of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of still another product zip fastener providedthereon with a tag according to the method of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a conventional practice for applyingtags onto individually separated zip fasteners.

According to the invention there is provided a method for producingtagged zip fasteners which essentially comprises aligning a train oftags in parallel with the plane of a chain of zip fasteners, each ofsaid tags having a fold line along which it is foldable, feeding saidtrain of tags in a direction at right angles to thedirection of movementof said fastener chain until said tags are brought one at a timesuccessively into a predetermined position on said fastener chain,attaching an end of said tag onto said fastener chain with the foldlineof said tag lying adjacent to a cutting line of said fastener chainalong which said chain is cut to a product length, cutting said fastenerchain along said cutting line, and separating the thus attached tag fromits train.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIG. 1 in particular, there isshown a chain of zip fasteners C moving inthe direction of the arrow.The zip fastener Fis of the usual construction comprised of two opposedstringer tapes 10 each carrying along one longitudinal edge thereof arow of interlocking elements 11, a slider 12 movable along theseelements for opening and closing the stringer tapes 10, and end stops,viz. top end stop 13 and bottom end stop 14.

The tags to be applied onto the above fastener chain according to theinvention are interconnected serially in side by side relationship inthe form of a tag train 15. Each individual tag or piece of tag 16in thetrain 15 has a width substantially equal to or slightly smaller than thewidth of the fastener F. The tag 16 has a stem portion 17 at one end forsecuring the same, as by a staple 18, to the fastener chain and anopening or hook eye 19 at the opposite end for hanging an individual zipfastener F on a suitable support (not shown) for purposes of display.The tag 16 is further provided with a transverse recess or groove 20 asindicated by broken line, which groove defines a fold line along whichthe tag is allowed to be folded on itself lengthwise of the fastener F.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the tag train 15 is provided with aplurality of transversely extending slits 21 which define separationlines between adjoining pieces of tags 16.

The train of tags 16 is fed intermittently in a direction at rightanglesto the direction of movement of the fastener chain C, as indicated bythe arrow in FIG. 1, until. a leading tag 16 is brought into superposedposition on the chain C with its fold line lying adjacent to a cuttingline 22 along which thechain is cut to an individual product length. Inthis position, a staple 18 is applied from above to the stem portion 17of the tag 16 thereby.

securing the same to the portion of the chain C that is devoid ofelements 11 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The leading tag 16 is thenseparated from the rest of the tags in the train 15 followed by foldingthe tag 16 on itself halfway up as shown in FIG. 2 to expose to view thecutting line 22 so as to therealong.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is characterized in that the tags 16 arecompletely folded when they are permit the chain C to be cut supplied tothe fastener chain C so that the chain can be cut simultaneously as theleading tug 16 is separated.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention wherein theposition of the tags 16 relative to the fastener chain C is inverted ascompared to the embodiment of FIG. 1, so that the tag 16 attached toproduct zip fastener F assumes a folded position in use as shown in FIG.9.

H6. 3 shows a train of tags 16 which are devoid of slits 21 and whichmay be employed according to the invention.

Having thus described the invention, it will be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made in the specific methods hereinabove advanced, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing tagged zip fasteners which comprises providinga train of tags each having a fold line along which it is foldable,feeding said train of tags in a direction at right angles to thedirection of movement of said fastener chain until said tags are borughtone at a time successively into a predetermined position on saidfastener chain, attaching an end of said tag onto said fastener chainwith the fold line of said tag lying adjacent to a cutting line of saidfastener chain along which said chain is to be cut to a product length,separating the thus attached tag from its train of tags, and cuttingsaid fastener chain along said cutting line.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said train of tags aresupplied in folded position so that the fastener chain can be cutsimultaneously with the separation of said tags.

3. A method for producing tagged zip fasteners comprising: providingboth a series of connected together tags and a continuous length offastener chain composed of a series of zip fastener sections each havingfastener elements having stop members at opposite ends thereof;intermittently feeding said length of fastener chain along a path oftravel to successively and intermittently position each zip fastenersection in a common working position; intermittently feeding said seriesof connected together tags transversely to the feeding direction of saidlength of fastener chain to suecessively and intermittentlysuperposition individual tags over the end portions of individual zipfastener sections when the latter are in said common working position;attaching the superposed tags to their respective zip fastener sectionsto form a tagged zip fastener section; and separating both each attachedtag from the remaining series of tags and each tagged zip fastenersection from the remaining length of fastener chain to form individualtagged zip fastener sections.

4. A method according to claim 3; wherein said separating step comprisesbreaking the attached tag from the remaining series of tags by foldingthe attached tag along a predetermined fold line and cutting the taggedzip fastener section from the remaining length of fastener chain.

1. A method for producing tagged zip fasteners which comprises providinga train of tags each having a fold line along which it is foldable,feeding said train of tags in a direction at right angles to thedirection of movement of said fastener chain until said tags are borughtone at a time successively into a predetermined position on saidfastener chain, attaching an end of said tag onto said fastener chainwith the fold line of said tag lying adjacent to a cutting line of saidfastener chain along which said chain is to be cut to a product length,separating the thus attached tag from its train of tags, and cuttingsaid fastener chain along said cutting line.
 2. The method as defined inclaim 1 wherein said train of tags are supplied in folded position sothat the fastener chain can be cut simultaneously with the separation ofsaid tags.
 3. A method for producing tagged zip fasteners comprising:providing both a series of connected together tags and a continuouslength of fastener chain composed of a series of zip fastener sectionseach having fastener elements having stop members at opposite endsthereof; intermittently feeding said length of fastener chain along apath of travel to successively and intermittently position each zipfastener section in a common working position; intermittently feedingsaid series of connected together tags transversely to the feedingdirection of said length of fastener chain to successively andintermittently superposition individual tags over the end portions ofindividual zip fastener sections when the latter are in said commonworking position; attaching the superposed tags to their respective zipfastener sections to form a tagged zip fastener section; and separatingboth each attached tag from the remaining series of tags and each taggedzip fastener section from the remaining length of fastener chain to formindividual tagged zip fastener sections.
 4. A method according to claim3; wherein said separating step comprises breaking the attached tag fromthe remaining series of tags by folding the attached tag along apredetermined fold line and cutting the tagged zip fastener section fromthe remaining length of fastener chain.